Safety and signal device



Feb, 20, 1923. 1,446,231

' M. WRIGHT ET AL SAFEIPY AND SIGNAL DEVICE- men MAR. 28. 192l. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

anvawtoz, MALCOLM WEIGHT "4 HENRYBECKER Feb. 20, 1923. 1,446,237.

M. WRIGHT ET AL, -SAFETY AND SIGNAL DEVICE.

FILED MAR. 28, 1921-. 2 suzns snm z.'

w fM LcoL/v M/GHT "dHE/YRYBECKEE.

anveM/toz,

Patented Felts 2Q, 1923.

intern rice.

MIMCOLM WEIGHT AND HENRY BECKER, 0F BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

SAFETY AND SIGNAL DEVICE.

Application filed MarchBE, 1921. Serial no. 456,447.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, MALCOLM l fnicrrr and HENRY Brenna, citizens of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the county of Baltimore City and State of lviai'yland, have invented certain new and userul 1T1 provements in Safety and Signal Devices; and we do hereby declare the following to be a lull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. i

This invention relates to a device for cutting off the flow of steam to a turbine or other steam engine when certain conditions 'arise making it necessary or desirable that the How of steam be cut oil promptly to avoid damage to the machinery. The invention has been primarily designed for use in connection with a turbine-driven pump, the apparatus being controlled by the water which is pumped by the turbine.

The various features or", novelty and invention will appear from the detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part of the specification.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating our in1- proved safety and signalling device arranged for operating the throttle valve, vacuum breaker and signal;

Figure 2 is a detailed enlarged View of the connection to the throttle valve, showing the same in its open position in full lines and in a closed position in dotted lines;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view of a shaft showing a modified form of the invention as applied to the shaft oi? the circulating pump and adapted to operate a circuit closure for automatically cutting off the motive power should the pump fail to work, and I Figure dis a top plan view of one of the movable rollers used in the construction shown in Figure 3.

In the drawings, S indicates a steam main supplying power to a prime mover, as a turbine, for actuating a pump for forcing water through a pipe line 1. In connection with the pipe line is a sleeve or casing 52 within which is a plunger-or float 3 having a stem 4 which carries a switch element 5 of a switch X, 6 indicating the other elements of the switch which latter elements are suitably secured to a support 8 having binding posts 9 for receiving wires 10 andll. Wire 11 connects to a solenoid, the return wire being indicated at 13 which is connected to a suitable source of electric energy B as is also wire 10. When the switch X is closed, as occurs when there is not a predetermined amount of water flowing in thepipe 1, the solenoid is energized by the battery l3.

Extending from the solenoid is a frame towhich is pivoted, as at 16, a lever, the arms thereof being indicated by 15 and 15. Extending from thecore of the solenoid is a post 17 to which said lever ispivotally connected as at 17. When the solenoid, is energized the post 17 thereof moves upwardly, consequently the lever is swung about its pivot 16.

Connected to the lever arm 15 is a link 18 which connects to throttleclosing mechanism 'now to be described. In the steam main S is a throttle of which 23 indicates the casing. The stem of the throttle is indicated at 23 and passes through the bottom of the casing in a conventional manner. At fixed to the throttle stem is a yoke 28 and, turnably' mounted in the lower end of the yoke is the terminal end of a throttle-adjusting screw 25 having a hand wheel 23. This screw passes through a screw block 25 which is slidably mounted in a sleeve a of a frame A depending from the, valve casing 23. The screw block is provided with trunnions 27 which extend through slots 30 in oppositc sides of the sleeve (5. It will now be seen that the block 25has a range of up and down movement commensurate with the length or" the slot BOand, inasmuch as the throttle within the casing 23 is connected to said block through the yoke 23, the throttle will partake of the same movement as said block. When the trunnions 2T areat the upper end of the slot, the throttle is open. vTo close the throttle quickly the screw block is allowed to drop, which results in a sudden closing of the throttle.

Themechanism for holding said block in elevated position and for allowingit to drop will now be described. Mounted on each trunnion is a lever 26 which at one end is anchored to the frame A by a link 28. The

free ends of levers 26 are brid ed by pin 31 which is adapted to be engaged by hook 32. When the hook is disengaged from the pin there is nothing to sustain the screw bloc; 25 in elevated position and, consequently, it moves downward with a resultant 15 of said lever by link 15.

closing. of the throttle, the lever 26 then assuming the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

The hook 32 is keyed to shaft which is turnably mounted in brackets 36 extend ing laterally from the frame A. Also keyed on the shaft 24 on an end thereof projecting beyond the bracket 36 is a hand lever 19. When the handle end of said lever is moved in a clockwise direction, the hook is (heengaged from the pin 31 thus allowing the screw block 25 to drop, as will now be readily understood.

The hook is disposed between the brackets 36'and has two radially projecting fingers 33 and 12. Finger 33 is designed to out the frame A to prevent the lever 19 and hook from swinging too far in a counterclockwise direction after the hook has been disengaged from the pin.

The finger d2 of said hook is adapted to be pressed upon by a trip-finger l3 aiiiXed to a shaft 37 bridging the ends of brackets 36. Afiixed to one end of shaft 37 is crank arm to which is connected a link 34k which leads to governing mechanism not shown nor necessary to be described. \Vhen' the arm 35 swings in a counter-clockwise direction, the trip-finger 1-8 will press upon the finger 12 of said hook to disengage the latter from the pin 31 and, consequently, screw block 25 will drop, as will now be understood.

itlso ailixed to shaft 3? and disposed be tween the brackets is an upwardly extending army ll (preferably a pair of them, one on eitherside of the finger &3) which is pressed upon by spring ll) held in operative relation therewith by means of a link 39 anchored to the frame A. The spring 40 will cause the trip-finger 13 to trip the hook 132 but is normally restrained from doing so by link 3 1 which, as already indicated, is connected to governing apparatus which is de-' signed to release link. 34 only under certain conditions.

It will now be seen thathook 32 can be tripped by hand lever 19 and also by spring 1.0 when link 34- is released to permit said spring to act. The third means for tripping the hook will now be described. Lever 19 is provided with an'extension 19. To this eX- tension, link 18 is connected, this link being connected, as will be recalled, to the arm 15 of the solenoidbperated lever. Downward pullon link 18 will disengage hook 332 from pin 31 as willnow be readily understood.

- Connected with the arm 15 of the solenoidoperated lever is a valve mechanism known as a vacuum breaker which, is so constructed that when a latch 16 is released, the valve mechanism will be operated by the action of a spring. Latch a6 is connected to the arm After the vacuum breaker has been operated or tripped by latch 46 it can be reset by hand lever 19 through mechanism not necessary to be described.

Mounted on the steam line S is a whistle 48, the lever d8 of which is actuable by solenoid 50 which is connected by wires 51 to wires 11 and 13. When the switch X is closed, the solenoid will be energized to pull the whistlclever whereupon the whistle will be sounded, thus giving notice that the ap paratus is not functioning normally.

instead of employing plunger or float 3 in connection with the pipe line 1 for closing the switch X, means of the type illustrated in Fig. may be employed. In this view 54 indicates a shaft of a circular water pump. Afiixed to this shaft is a two-part ring 55 having radial lugs 57 to which are pivoted arms 59 each having a roller 62 at their free ends. 53 is a two-part annular casing surrounding the arm-provided ring 55. At the top of the casing is mounted avertically movable slide-segment- 64: having a stem 65 on which is aifixed a switch element 5 for contacting with switch elements 6, these switch elements corresponding to the switch elements 5 and 6 Fig. 1.

ll hen the shaft 5. is rotating, and consequently when the pump is functioning, the centrifugal force will swing the arms 59"outwardly and thus exert outward pressure on slide-segment 64: suilicient to open the switch X. Should the pump cease to function or slow down in speed, and thus not pump suilicient water, the slide-segment 64: will approach the ring 55 and consequently the s 'itch X will close the circuit between wires 10 and 11, consequently current will flow through the circuitto energize thesolenoid l2 and also the solenoid 50.

T he operation of the above described mechanism may be briefly stated as follows:

When the pump is pumping sufficient water through the pipe line 1, the plunger 3 will be maintained in such position by the pressure of thewater that the switch X will be open. However, should there not besuiiicient water flowing in the pipe line 1 for one reason or another, the float will drop to close the switch X whereupon the circuit in connection with battery B will be closed thus allowing the solenoid 12 to beenergiz 1d. It may be stated at thispoint that within the casing 2 may be provided means for controlling the degree of sensitivity of the plunger 3. VVhen the solenoid 12 is energized, link 18 will be pulled'downward thus disengaging hook 32 from pin 31 to allow the throttle to drop to closed position; lilovement of the solenoid-operated lever will also cause the latch 46 of'thevacuum breaker to be tripped thus completely throwing the turbine apparatus and hence pre: venting damage to said apparatus. If the turbine should rotate at too high speed, the

lOO

governing mechanism to which link 34 is connected will release said link 34, where upon the spring 40 will operate to trip the hook 32, whereupon the throttle will close, thus cutting of? steam to the turbine. If it is desi to quickly close the throttle by hand, hand lever 19 can be operated to trip the hook 32 and also the vacuum breaker.

We claim:

1. The coinbination'with a steam main supplying power to a prime mover and a conduit for receiving fluid pumped by the prime mov r, of a solenoid, means con-- trolled by the fluid in the conduit for energizing the solenoid, a throttle in the steam u in, a trip holding the throttle open, and il'lQlDS actuated by the solenoid for tripping the trip to quickly close the throttle.

:2. The col 'z'iation with a steam main supplying power to a prime mover and a cone at for receiving fluid pumped by the prime mover, of a solenoid, ineans controlled by the fluid in the conduit for energizing the solenoid, a throttle tending to close by gravity, a trip holding the throttle in open position and means operated by the solenoid for tripping the trip when the solenoid is energized.

3. The combination with a gravity actuated steam throttle, a frame, a block slidable in said frame, means connecting said block to the throttle, a lever anchored at one end to the frame, means connecting the lever to the block, a hook swingably mounted on the frame, means on the lever for engagement with the hook, and means for disengaging the hook from the lever, comprising a lever mounted on said frame.

41. The combination with a gravity actueted steam throttle, a frame, a block slidable frame, means on the lever "for engagement with the hook, a lever fixedly connected to said hook, and means for swinging the lastnientioned lever to trip the hook.

5. The combination with a gravity actu ated stean throttle, frame, a block slida le in said frame. means connecting said block to the throttle, a lever anchored at one end to the iirarne, means connecting the lever to the block, a hook swingably mounted on the frame, means on the lever for eneinent with the hook, a lever fixedly con nected tosaid hook, means connected to the lever for swinging the same to trip the hook, and bell-crank lever supported on the trains tor tripping the hook.

6. l he combination with a steam inain supplying power to a prime mover, a pipe line through which water is pumped by the prime mover, and a vacuum breaker, of a solenoid, a lever movable by the solenoid, a'connection between the lever and vacuum breaker for actuating the latter when the solenoid is energized to move said lever, a throttle in said steam main, a connection be tween the throttle and said lever, for actuating throttle closing means when said lever is moved. electric circuit for the solenoid; and a switch in said circuit responsive to the fluid in the pipe line, said solenoid being energized when said switch is closed.

iii nis connecting the lever to In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures.

MALGOLM wiaioirr. HENRY BECKER. 

